Sheet feeding mechanism

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a sheet feeding mechanism. The sheet feeding mechanism includes a power source mounted on the machine frame; a fixed base and a fixed supporting frame mounted on the machine frame and a to-and-fro movable frame also mounted on the machine frame. An upper Dashboard is provided on the upside of the fixed supporting frame, correspondingly a lower flashboard which is opposite to the upper Dashboard is provided on the fixed base. A lower flashboard is provided on the underside of the to-and-fro movable frame, correspondingly an upper flashboard is provided on the upside of the to-and-fro movable frame. The power source includes the power source of the to-and-fro movable frame, which is mounted on the machine frame, the power source of the upper flashboard, and the power source of the lower flashboard. The mechanism for feeding sheet comprises two couples of eudipleural flashboards, which are staggered; the two couples of eudipleural Dashboards move up and down and the to-and-fro movable frame moves reciprocally for clamping sheet, so as to complete the intermissive feeding process. The sheet feeding mechanism of the present invention possesses the following advantages: the processed sheets, i.e., workpieces lack oil-pollution, so as to improve the grade of left margins; the used materials can be saved; the border of the sheets will not be destroyed, so that two sides of the finished products appear smooth and the quality of the products is improved evidently; the total expenses for the machine can be saved; the structure of the machine can be simpler and the maintenance workload for the machine is reduced.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2004/000223, filed on Mar. 19, 2004, which claims priority to Chinese Application No. 03115877.3, filed on Mar. 19, 2003, the contents of both applications are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, generally to a feeding mechanism for feeding materials mechanically, more specifically, to a sheet feeding mechanism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In current market the feeding mechanism for feeding materials (sheets) mechanically, specifically the feeding mechanism for feeding materials with vacuum-forming possesses mainly the following several types:

Chain-tooth: A chain moving towards one direction is provided with a several of metal teeth to drive a sheet moving.

Chain-collet with teeth: A chain moving towards one direction is provided with a several of collets, in which teeth are mounted, to drive a sheet moving.

Rollers: an upper roller and a lower roller clamp a sheet to be rotated to drive the sheet moving.

For the above-mentioned several types of sheet feeding mechanisms occur the problems that it need to frequently supply oil, the sheet is easy to be polluted if the working time is too long and it is unsuitable to be used for thicker sheets.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to provide an improved sheet feeding mechanism to resolve the problems that the sheets are easy to be polluted in processing of the current feeding mechanisms for feeding sheets and they are unsuitable to be used for thicker sheets.

The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

A sheet feeding mechanism, includes a power source with a electromotor or a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder mounted on a machine frame thereof, a fixed base and a fixed supporting frame mounted on the machine frame, which can be regulated with the varying breadths of the sheets, and a to-and-fro movable frame mounted on the machine frame; an upper flashboard is provided on the upside of the fixed supporting frame, a lower Dashboard, which is opposite to the upper Dashboard on the fixed supporting frame is provided on the fixed base; a lower Dashboard is provided on the underside of the to-and-fro movable frame, a upper flashboard, which is opposite to the lower Dashboard is provided on the upside of the to-and-fro movable frame; the power source includes the power source of the to-and-fro movable frame, which is mounted on the machine frame, the power source of the upper flashboard, and the power source of the lower Dashboard; the mechanism for feeding sheet comprises two couples of eudipleural flashboards, which are staggered; the two couples of eudipleural Dashboards move up and down and the to-and-fro movable frame moves reciprocally to clamp a sheet, so as to complete the intermissive feeding process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be more fully understood and its features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the ensuing description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a structural schematic view of a sheet feeding mechanism, which illustrates the right side of eudipleural structure along the forward direction of the sheets, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The parts used in the application documents, the sign numbers of which are indicated in FIG. 1 are listed as follows:

-   2 power source with a electromotor or a pneumatic cylinder or a     hydraulic cylinder -   3 fixed base -   4 fixed supporting frame -   5 sliding guide -   51 upper sliding guide -   52 lower sliding guide -   6 to-and-fro movable frame -   7 lower Dashboard -   8 connecting shaft -   9 upper Dashboard -   10 upper Dashboard -   11 lower Dashboard -   12 guiding set -   13 power source of lower Dashboard -   14 link member -   15 power source of upper flashboard -   16 sheet -   17 cushion block

DETALED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the FIG. 1, a sheet feeding mechanism of a embodiment of the present invention is provided on a machine for vacuum-forming plastic sheets, on the machine frame of which a power source 2 with a electromotor or a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder is provided.

On the machine frame further are mounted a fixed base 3 and a fixed supporting frame 4. The fixed base 3 can be regulated with the varying breadth of the sheets in left and right directions. The fixed supporting frame 4 can be provided on the fixed base 3. A sliding guide 5 is mounted on the fixed supporting frame 4. The sliding guide 5 appears cylindrical and perfectly includes an upper sliding guide 51 and a lower sliding guide 52. The sliding guide 5 also can appears rectangular, hexangular or octagonal. On the sliding guide 5 is provided with a to-and-fro movable frame 6, which can reciprocates on the sliding guide 5. The to-and-fro movable frame 6 also can be mounted directly on a machine frame with a guide.

An upper flashboard 10 is provided on the upside of the fixed supporting frame 4. A lower flashboard 11, which is opposite to the upper flashboard 10 of the fixed supporting frame 4 is provided on the fixed base 3. A lower flashboard 7 is provided on the underside of the to-and-fro movable frame 6 and an upper flashboard 9, which is opposite to the lower flashboard 7 is provided on the upside of the to-and-fro movable frame 6.

Shown as in FIG. 1, the upper flashboard 10 on the fixed supporting frame 4 is the fixed one and the lower flashboard 11 on the fixed base 3 is the movable one. The movable lower flashboard 11 is arranged oppositely to the fixed upper flashboard 10. The lower flashboard 7 on the to-and-fro movable frame is the fixed one and the upper flashboard 9 on the to-and-fro movable frame is the movable one. The movable upper flashboard 9 is arranged oppositely to the fixed lower flashboard 7. The movable upper flashboard 9 is connected through a connecting shaft 8.

In accordance with the other embodiments of the present invention (not are shown), the upper flashboard 10 on the fixed supporting frame is the movable one and the lower flashboard 11 on the fixed base is the fixed one. The upper flashboard 9 on the to-and-fro movable frame is the fixed one and the lower flashboard 7 on the to-and-fro movable frame is the movable one.

The power source of the sheet feeding mechanism includes the power source 2 of the to-and-fro movable frame, which is mounted on the machine frame, the power source 15 of the upper flashboard, and the power source 13 of the lower flashboard. These power sources can be an electromotor, pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders. As shown in FIG. 1, the power 2 of the to-and-fro movable frame is connected with a link member 14, which is connected with the to-and-fro movable frame 6. The power source 15 of the upper flashboard is mounted on the link member 14 to drive the upper flashboard 9 moving. The power source 13 of the lower flashboard is mounted on the fixed base 3, which is connected with a guiding set 12, which performs guiding function to the lower flashboard 11. A cushion block 17 is mounted between the guiding set 12 and the fixed base 3 to reduce the wear caused by them.

The mechanism for feeding sheet comprises two couples of eudipleural flashboards, which are staggered. The two couples of eudipleural Dashboards move up and down and the to-and-fro movable frame moves reciprocally to clamp sheet 16, so as to complete the intermissive feeding process.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the working process of the sheet feeding mechanism of the embodiment of the present invention is described as follows:

When the sheet 16 enters the area of movable lower flashboard 11, the fixed upper flashboard 10, the fixed lower flashboard 7 and the movable upper flashboard 9, both the movable upper flashboard 9 mounted on the upside of the to-and-fro movable frame 6 and driven by the power source 15 and the fixed lower flashboard 7 together clamp the sheet 16. The to-and-fro movable frame 6 mounted on the sliding guide 5 together with the sheet 16 is driven by the power source 2 through the link member 14, advancing and being positioned according to the predetermined program.

Meanwhile, the movable lower flashboard 11 on the fixed base 3 is driven by the power source 13 of lower flashboard and the lower flashboard 11 and the fixed upper flashboard 10 together clamp the sheet 16. Subsequently, driven by the power source 15 of upper flashboard, the movable upper flashboard 9 and the fixed lower flashboard 7 loosen the sheet 16 and the to-and-fro movable frame 6 is repositioned. Driven by the power source 15 of upper flashboard, the movable upper flashboard 9 and the fixed lower flashboard 7 clamp the sheet 16 again. Driven by the power source 13 of lower flashboard, the movable lower flashboard 11 and the fixed upper flashboard 10 loosen the sheet 16. Thus repeatedly, the sheet 16 intermittently moves towards one direction in a predetermined regulatable program.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The sheet feeding mechanism of the present invention is one of a type of reciprocating Dashboard and is mainly applied on the vacuum forming machinery. It comprises two couples of eudipleural flashboards, which are staggered. The Dashboards alternately claim the sheet through the power source such as pneumatic, hydraulic cylinders or electromotor, etc., and time controllers according to whole predetermined program. The flashboards move up and down and reciprocate alternately to clamp the plastic sheets moving, so as to complete the process of intermittently feeding the materials (feeding the sheets).

The sheet feeding mechanism of the present invention can intermittently feeds materials (sheet) and can be applied in the machineries such as other ones for feeding materials, severing, printing or lettering, and applied for feeding other thin types of circular materials, such as metals, leatheroids, piece goods or paper sheets, etc.

The sheet feeding mechanism of the present invention possesses the following advantages:

The processed sheets, i.e., workpieces lack oil-pollution, so as to improve the grade of left margins.

The used materials can be saved, so that the breadth of the sheet can be reduced by 10 mm˜18 mm.

The border of the sheets will not be destroyed, so that two sides of the finished products appear smooth and the quality of the products is improved evidently.

The special device or mechanism for feeding circular materials is unnecessary, so saving the total expenses for the machine, the structure of the machine can be simpler and the maintenance workload for the machine is reduced. 

1. A sheet feeding mechanism, includes a power source with a electromotor or a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder mounted on a machine frame thereof, a fixed base and a fixed supporting frame mounted on the machine frame, which can be regulated with the varying breadths of the sheets, and a to-and-fro movable frame mounted on the machine frame; and characterized in that: an upper flashboard is provided on the upside of the fixed supporting frame, a lower flashboard, which is opposite to the upper flashboard on the fixed supporting frame is provided on the fixed base; a lower flashboard is provided on the underside of the to-and-fro movable frame, a upper flashboard, which is opposite to the lower Dashboard is provided on the upside of the to-and-fro movable frame; the power source includes the power source of the to-and-fro movable frame, which is mounted on the machine frame, the power source of the upper flashboard, and the power source of the lower flashboard; the mechanism for feeding sheet comprises two couples of eudipleural flashboards, which are staggered; the two couples of eudipleural Dashboards move up and down and the to-and-fro movable frame moves reciprocally to clamp a sheet, so as to complete the intermissive feeding process.
 2. A sheet feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper flashboard on the fixed supporting frame is an upper flashboard, which is fixed thereon.
 3. A sheet feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper flashboard on the fixed supporting frame is an upper flashboard, which is movably mounted thereon.
 4. A sheet feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said lower flashboard on the fixed base is a lower flashboard, which is fixed thereon.
 5. A sheet feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said lower flashboard on the fixed base is a lower flashboard, which is movably mounted thereon.
 6. A sheet feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper flashboard on the to-and-fro movable frame is an upper flashboard, which is fixed thereon.
 7. A sheet feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper flashboard on the to-and-fro movable frame is an upper flashboard, which is movably mounted thereon.
 8. A sheet feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said lower flashboard on the to-and-fro movable frame is a lower flashboard, which is fixed thereon.
 9. A sheet feeding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that said lower flashboard on the to-and-fro movable frame is a lower flashboard, which is movably mounted thereon. 